Wire-stretcher.



H. H. ARMSTRONG.

WIRE STRBTGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 191a.

Patented Apr, 28, 1914,

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. H. ARMSTRONG.

WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 191a.

1,094,41 O, Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. ARMSTRONG, OF FORT SPUNKY, TEXAS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Spunky, in the county of Hood and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in VVire- Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire stretching implements, and more particularly to a tool for stretching telephone wire, barb wire, wire fencing and the like.

It is the object of this invention to provide a tool which will engage the wire and exert a continuous pull upon it until sulficiently stretched. As the tool engages the wire itself there is no necessity of an intermediate member between the tool and the wire, such as a chain, and as it is provided with a lock the wire may be held in any position of the tool.

lVhile the preferred form of this invention is illustrated upon the accompanying sheets of drawing, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the wire stretcher with the handle broken away in which one grip has just taken hold of the wire. Fig. 2 is a similar view in which the operating handle has been drawn back to the vertical position. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the complete structure with the handle broken away in the position illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in end elevation of one of the gripping devices. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical view in which the left hand gripping device engages the wire and the other is about to take hold. Fig. 7 is a similar view in which the right hand gripping device has taken hold of the wire and the left hand gripping device has been released. Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation of the splicer or look.

In accordance with this invention the wire stretcher comprises two parallel wire gripping arms 1 extending from the same side of and pivoted to an operating member 2 having an operating handle 3 forming a continuation thereof at one side. The operating member is provided with a pivoted shackle 4 equidistant from the pivotal points of the wire engaging arms and to this shackle is connected a chain 5 or other means of securing the structure to a post or some other fixed support. In order that the par- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 1, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 782,472.

allel pivoted wire gripping arms may continue in this relation during the oscillation of the operating member a semicircular spacing member 6 is pivoted at each end to the central portion of each arm. The free ends 7 of each wire gripping arm 1 are curved and extend toward each other until they will ]L1Sl) clear during the operation of the stretcher.

The free end of each arm 1 is provided w th a wlre gripping device comprising a pivoted toothed dog 8 and a scored or roughened base plate 9 between which the wire 10 is engaged and held. The dogs are pivoted in housings projecting at right angles to the plane of the wire engaging arms 1, upon the same side thereof, and the adjacent sides of the housings between the pivotal points and the base plates 9 are cut away exposing the toothed edge of the dogs 8.

On the outer side of each housing is secured a dog releasing device comprlsing a rigid resilient member 11 so arranged that when one arm is extended and the one engaging the wire retracted, the end of the member 11 upon the extended arm will lie just in front of theretract-ed dog so that upon the rearward movement of the extended arm the member will strike and release the engaged dog. The stretcher is operated with the arms in a horizontal plane and as the dogs are arranged at right angles to this plane and are pivoted thereon as the arm approaches the extended position, the dog upon the extending arm will be engaged by the wire and which upon further forward movement lifts the dog s0 that the wire will pass thereunder and at the end of the extending movement will be in gripping position, so that upon the first rearward movement the wire will be firmly gripped between the dog and the base plate and will be held therebetween during the rearward oscillation of the operating handle and until the dog is disengaged by the member 11 upon the other arm in the beginning of the reverse movement of the stretcher.

It is preferable to construct the wire engaging arms 1 of two plates 12 and 13 arranged one on each side of the operating member 2 with the spacing member 6 secured between them and the upper plate 12 terminated at the curved free end 7. It is preferable to secure the base plate 9 upon the inner side of the plate 13 and the hous ing for the dogs to the inner side of upper plate 12. This housing preferably comprises a plate 1% the same width as the plate 12 of the arm 1 which is bent at right angles below the termination of the shorter arm plate 12 extended outward a sufticient distance to retain the dog 8 then brought back upon itself and terminated short of the tooth edge of the dog. This end 15 of the housing is preferably beveled so that the wire 10 will slide over the same easily as the arm reaches forward end of travel.

A splicer or lock is provided upon the operating member 2 on the side over which the wire passes and is preferably secured in advance of the pivoted shackle 4: at the central point of this member. This lock comprises a fixed plate 16 extending parallel with and at right angles to the operating member having a central depression 17 upon the upper side. At one end of this plate is a pivoted wire engaging member-1S having a depression 19 corresponding with the central depression on the plate 16 and at the free end with a means for engaging and securing the member to the plate, so that the wire may be secured at any time by this device and the stretcher retained in any position desired.

The operation is as follows: The stretcher being secured by the chain to a fixed support and the handle 3 oscillated so that one arm 1 reaches forward to its full extent and the wire to be stretched engaged by that dog 8, the oscillation of the handle in the opposite direction will stretch the wire and at the same time this arm is being drawn the other arm 1 will be advanced and as the arms move parallel with each other the free ends approach the center line thereby the advancing arm will gradually approach the wire until the pivoted dog is raised and the wire is in position to be gripped at the end of the advance movement. The dog releasing member 11 upon the advancing arm will pass over the dog upon the retracting arm and at the end oi the movement will assume a position in advance of said dog. Upon movement in the opposite. direction the release ot' the dog upon the rear arm is accomplished by the member 11 and at the same time the dog upon the forward arm will firmly engage the wire. It will be seen that by this construction there is a constant pulling action in a hand over hand pull upon the wire. The wire once being engaged by the stretcher a single operator is only necessary to stretch the wire and as the wire is constantly engaged by the dogs of the stretcher there is no necessity of any intermediate members between the stretcher and the wire.

What I claim is:

1. In a wire stretcher, a centrally pivoted operating member, a pair or arms equidistantly pivoted on each side of the center or the operating member, means for imparting parallel motion to the arms upon oscillation of the operating member, a wire gripping device upon the free end of each arm, and means upon each arm to positively release the gripping device upon the other arm.

2. In a wire stretcher, a centrally pivoted operating member, a pair of arms equidistantly pivoted on each side of the center of the operating member, a spacing member pivoted equidistant from the pivoted end of each arm, a wire gripping device upon the free end of each arm, and means upon each arm to positively release the gripping device upon the other arm.

3. In a wire stretcher, a centrally pivoted operating member, a pair of arms equidistantly pivoted on each side. of the center of the operating member, a spacing member pivoted to the central portion of each arm, a wire gripping device upon the free end of each arm comprising a pivoted toothed dog adapted to engage the wire, and means upon each arm to positively release the dog gripping the wire upon the reverse movement.

l. In a wire stretcher, a centrally pivoted operating member, a pair of arms equidistant-1y pivoted on each side of the center of the operating member, a spacing member pivoted to the central portion of each arm, a wire gripping device upon the free end of each arm comprising a pivoted toothed dog and base plate adapted to engage the wire, and a fixed member upon each arm adapted to slide over the dog on the opposite arm and upon reverse movement engage said dog and release the same.

HENRY H. ARMSTRONG.

lVitnesses J. M. RUSSELL, B. B. BARNABD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01. Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

